NRAAM

The NRA Board of Directors elected the next generation of leadership for the nation’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group, electing lifelong NRA Life Member Pete Brownell as President May 1, capping off the 146th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Atlanta.

Brownell, whose entire life has been dedicated to the outdoors and shooting traditions, is the CEO of his family’s namesake business and firearms industry leader, Brownells, Inc. Under his leadership, Brownells experienced a ten-fold growth from a “niche-specific supplier” of gunsmithing tools to an international company offering firearms, parts, ammo and accessories to shooters, hunters, gunsmiths and retailers worldwide.

His Iowa roots rich with shooting and hunting heritage combined with his family’s commitment to serve and uphold those traditions set the stage for Brownell to seek election to the NRA Board of Directors in 2010. Since then, he has served as chairman of the Membership Committee, and as a member of the Finance, Law Enforcement Assistance, Publications Policies, and Sport Shooting Committees. He was elected as the NRA’s Second Vice President in 2013, and elected as First Vice President in 2015. He succeeds Allan D. Cors to become the 64th President of the NRA.

“It’s an honor and privilege to serve the 5 million members of the National Rifle Association of America. I am humbled to serve alongside Wayne LaPierre – the true heart and soul of this Association and to walk in the footsteps of my predecessors,” said Brownell. “I’m a proud NRA member from day one who grew up with a passion for guns, our rich hunting heritage, and a passion to strengthen our Second Amendment.”

In addition to Brownell’s election, the NRA Board of Directors re-elected Wayne LaPierre as the NRA Executive Vice President. Under his trusted leadership, the NRA has grown to unprecedented levels, becoming the preeminent force in American politics and strengthening its position as the nation’s foremost defender of the Second Amendment. Upon his re-election, LaPierre reappointed Josh Powell to the position of Executive Director of NRA General Operations and Chris W. Cox to the position of Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. Continue reading →

The 146th National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings and Exhibits will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia from April 27-30, 2017. This four-day event will be attended by tens of thousands of patriots and features more than 15 acres of the most spectacular displays of firearms, and shooting and hunting accessories in the world. For more information on the massive RKBA event, visit www.nraam.org.

The NRAAM features a powerhouse lineup of political speakers, a Saturday night celebration like no other, hundreds of exhibitors from around the firearms industry, fellowship with like-minded Second Amendment supporters at a variety of breakfasts, luncheons and dinners, and much more. Learn about the progress made over the past year and what the upcoming year has in store at the annual Meeting of Members during the show and make your voice heard within the country’s preeminent gun rights organization.

Exhibit hall hours are from 9AM to 6PM on Friday April 28 and Saturday April 29 and 10AM to 5PM on Sunday April 30. Click here for a complete list of NRAAM exhibitors and here for a schedule of events.

Participate in workshops and seminars on everything from Methods of Concealed Carry to effective dog training to self defense talks from the Refuse to be a Victim program. NRAAM also includes separate ticketed events like the Saturday night celebration with a concert by Hank Williams Jr with guest Lee Brice. Tickets for those events are available here.

For open and concealed carry practitioners, the NRAAM website offers the following statement: “During the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, lawfully carried firearms will be permitted in the Georgia World Congress Center and the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center in accordance with Georgia law. However, firearms are not allowed in the remainder of the CNN Center, including the food court and shops. When carrying your firearm, remember to follow all federal, state and local laws.”

If you are already an NRA member, you can preregister here to have your admission badges mailed directly to you for free. Your badges give you full access to the exhibit hall for all three days. NRA members can include their spouse and up to 5 children (under the age of 18). If you still need to join NRA before the event, click here to join here for reduced dues.

With just over 80,000 in attendance over the three-day span, this year’s event was the second biggest in the show’s 145-year history, creating what the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates to be a $53 million economic impact for the city.

The GunLink team was there from the pre-show events to the closing bell on the last day (serenaded out by Mark Wills at the FN booth). We got to catch up with some old friends, speak with exhibitors and attendees, spend money on show specials, and snap photos. In case you were not able to make it to Louisville, here is some of what you missed…

NRAAM Starts Off With a pffffttt.

The American Suppressor Association (ASA) hosted their third annual media day in tandem with the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Louisville, Kentucky, today – one day ahead of the exhibit floor opening to attendees – and the GunLink team was there to take part in the invitation-only event. The Media Day event, held at Knob Creek Gun Range, was an excellent opportunity to get hands on experience with some of the newest gun mufflers on the market. Now is a great time to buy and own NFA items like suppressors, despite some of the new hurdles placed in front of some owners by the 41F ruling.

The ASA touts itself as the unified voice of the suppressor industry with a mission “to unite and advocate for the common interests of suppressor manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and consumers” by lobbying at the state and federal levels, educating the public, and providing industry research. ASA’s main objectives include raising public awareness, relaxing ownership laws in the 9 remaining states which do not allow private ownership, relaxing hunting regulations that prohibit the use of such hearing protection equipment, and fixing issues with the NFA – including the bottlenecks that result in lengthy wait times.

NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits Lands in Louisville May 19-22

The 145th NRAAM will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY May 20-22, 2016. The show, which is open and free to all NRA members and their immediate family, features over 650 exhibitors covering over 475,000 square feet of exhibit hall space and offers a terrific opportunity to meet with representatives from the manufacturers and vendors of your favorite shooting, hunting, and outdoor gear, guns, and more.

The NRA Show also features numerous educational seminars, celebrities, and fun filled special events for the whole family. Visitors can spend the day exploring products from every major firearm company in the country, book the hunt of a lifetime in the outfitter section, and view priceless collections of firearms in the gun collector area. There will also be no shortage of knives, wildlife art, shooting accessories, hunting gear, ATV’s, and much more. Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: Pete Brownell, and Brownells as a whole, were among the first big established companies in the firearms industry to really embrace new media and recognize it as a valuable resource for firearm enthusiasts, industry members, recreational shooters and others to participate in the timely exchange of information. In addition to supporting new media, Pete has been an strong and unwavering supporter of Second Amendment rights. GunLink is proud share his announcement that he will seek a third term on the NRA Board and add our endorsement to the list of others supporting him. The NRA Board of Directors needs more members like Pete Brownell!

NRA First Vice President and CEO of Brownells, Pete Brownell, announced this week that he will seek a third term on the NRA’s Board of Directors. If re-elected, Brownell will likely become NRA President at the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia.

An NRA Life Member since birth, Brownell, 47, boasts proven NRA leadership experience and is a widely-recognized visionary in the firearm and outdoor industry. Brownell’s service to the NRA began in 2006 when he was nominated to serve on the NRA Membership Committee. Following his election to the board in 2010, Brownell began serving on numerous other committees, including:

President’s Committee on Advancement

Nominating Committee

Sport Shooting Committee

Finance Committee

Law Enforcement Committee

Meeting Site Selection Committee

Publications Policy Committee

Task Force on Industry Relations Committee

Investment Oversight Committee

Proving himself as an ardent defender of the Second Amendment and a powerful voice for the NRA, Brownell was elected the NRA Second Vice President in April 2013. Two years later in 2015, he was elected NRA First Vice President, an office he holds today. Continue reading →